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cooking up a storm at the edge of the world

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Chocolate Orange Camp-fire Cake

Published on July 19, 2014 • Last updated January 28, 2019 by Elizabeth
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Chocolate Orange Campfire Cake - made with real ingredients! Not a boxed cake mix to be seen!
Chocolate Orange Campfire Cake – made with real ingredients! Not a boxed cake mix to be seen!

Chocolate Orange Campfire Cake made with real ingredients (no boxed cake mix!)

My regular readers might have noticed my blogging silence over the last fortnight – that’s because as a family we’ve been away adventuring! We spent 12 days away; covering 1500 miles and camping in the Lake District in England and in the heart of the Cairngorms in Scotland.

I’ve plenty of adventure stories to share with you and a few recipes, but I’ve been really excited to share this particular recipe with you all.

My husband celebrated a birthday while we were camping in the Lake District, so I wanted to make him something special. It didn’t matter that we were in the forest surrounded by glorious trees and only had a camp-fire (and gas ring) to cook with. In our household if there is a birthday a cake is most certainly required.

Camp Fire

An online search brought up recipe after recipe for gorgeous well-photographed chocolate cakes cooked in oranges and every single one of these recipes used a boxed cake mix. I’m very sorry, but if a “recipe” includes a boxed cake mix then it is not a recipe, in my humble opinion. I did, however, like the thick-skinned orange idea to bake the cake in.

So I set to work.

I adapted my gluten-free chocolate mug cake for outdoor camp-fire use, preparing all the dry ingredients in advance and storing them in a securely lidded plastic container just large enough to add the egg, juice and oil. On the birthday boy’s day, I hollowed out two oranges, prepared the batter, wrapped the oranges in foil and baked them in the embers at the side of the fire.

It was a resounding success! The cakes rose beautifully and they were deliciously moist with a lovely hint of orange flavour throughout. Although the outside of the orange skin was scorched (added visual appeal!) the cake inside was of the perfect cake consistency. My husband was most impressed as we ate our still-warm cakes with squirty cream left over from the raspberry meringue nests we’d eaten the day before (kept cool in an icebox).

This recipe makes two generous camp-fire cakes, but if there are more in your party I’m sure it would scale up just fine.

Chocolate Orange Campfire Cake

A deliciously moist chocolate orange camp fire cake made using real ingredients - no boxed cake mixes found here!
4.30 from 10 votes
Print Rate
Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes
Total Time: 1 hour hour
Servings: 2 people
Author: Elizabeth

Ingredients

  • 4 tbsp self-raising flour
  • 3 tbsp dark muscovado sugar
  • 2 tbsp cocoa powder
  • 1 tbsp skimmed milk powder
  • pinch Shetland sea salt
  • 1 tbsp orange juice
  • 1 tbsp sunflower oil
  • 1 free-range egg
  • 25 grams dark chocolate chopped
  • 2 large oranges with thick skins
  • squirty cream to serve (optional)

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Instructions 

  • Before you leave home for your camping trip, mix together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, salt and skimmed milk powder in a small plastic container.
  • Cut off the tops of your oranges, about an inch from the top to make a flat lid.
  • Over a bowl, carefully scoop out the flesh of the oranges. This will be a juicy mess, but try and reserve as much of the juice as possible. Wash and dry the oranges.
  • Mix the orange juice, sunflower and egg with the dry ingredients.
  • Stir in the coarsely chopped chocolate and spoon the mixture into the prepared oranges, filling each about 2/3 full.
  • Wrap each orange loosely in aluminium foil, taking care to keep the oranges upright.
  • Place your wrapped oranges on the edge of your camp-fire, out of direct flame but close enough to the embers to the cakes will bake.
  • After 25 - 30 minutes remove the cakes from the heat and carefully unwrap. You should see cooked cake peeking out between the orange bowl and lid. Leave to cool for 15 minutes before peeling off the lid.
  • Eat as it is or with squirty cream kept cool in an ice box.

Notes

Use the bottom of another bowl to crush the remaining orange pulp to remove as much juice as possible - there you go, you've got freshly squeezed campfire orange juice!

You might also like:

Grilled Celeriac and Apple Cake with Apple Ice Cream and Salted Bourbon Butterscotch Sauce by Veggie Desserts. If you’re a fan of the whole chocolate orange flavour combo, you might also like these chocolate orange muffins from The Hedgecombers.

Category: Cake, Chocolate, Recipe

About Elizabeth

Solivagant. Foodie. Calls Shetland home.

Previous Post:Cheesy Spinach Bake
Next Post:BritMums Live 2014 – A Trip to London

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Inga

    August 17, 2020 at 2:02 pm

    5 stars
    Best thing ever!!!
    Made these bad boys while camping and the only complaint was – That I didn’t make enough!

    Reply
  2. Kt

    July 8, 2016 at 12:52 pm

    Just to let you know, I just made this and it turned out great! My son felt like he had a birthday despite the fact we forgot to take his present with us!

    Reply
    • Elizabeth

      July 8, 2016 at 1:24 pm

      Oh thank you so much for making me smile today, and happy birthday to your son! 🙂

      Reply
  3. Paul Wilson

    March 8, 2015 at 3:59 am

    Great idea. Love it!

    Reply
  4. Icing images

    October 21, 2014 at 8:44 am

    Great idea for cake.Chocolate Orange Camp-fire Cake is now my favorite for camping 🙂

    Reply
  5. jackie chapman

    September 10, 2014 at 5:58 pm

    This is awesome! I can’t wait to try it on our next camping trip!

    Reply
  6. Paul Wilson

    August 17, 2014 at 10:45 pm

    Great idea.

    Reply
  7. Johanna GGG

    July 27, 2014 at 11:14 am

    what a great birthday treat – going camping and having your cake too – and that cake sounds amazing – my mum used to make damper in the coals of the campfires we had on bush outings and it always tasted amazing but this is more complex and more impressive (and who wants a box of cake mix when it takes so little extra work to do it from scratch)

    Reply
  8. Vohn McGuinness

    July 23, 2014 at 5:57 pm

    That is genius Elizabeth I love it! Recipe makes two – does that mean the kids didn’t get any??? 😉

    Reply
    • Elizabeth

      July 24, 2014 at 7:25 pm

      They didn’t, I’m afraid! I thought there would be enough batter to fill four oranges, so I hollowed out four and it turned out there was only enough for two. They were happy enough with the bag of marshmallows I gave them to roast over the open fire, so it was ok. 🙂

      Reply
  9. Southwarkbelle

    July 23, 2014 at 2:46 pm

    Genius! What a great idea, will be trying this out on the campfire. We always do chocolate button stuffed bannanas so this will make a nice change.

    Reply
    • Elizabeth

      July 24, 2014 at 7:28 pm

      Ooh let me know what you think of it if you do try it. Chocolate button stuffed bananas are awesome too 🙂

      Reply
    • Adele

      April 2, 2025 at 10:14 pm

      I came here searching for an orange camp-fire cake recipe but am put off by all the blogging! Why do all the recipe sites like to tell you their life story before sharing their recipe? After all, we are only here for the recipe!

      Reply
  10. Heather Haigh

    July 22, 2014 at 4:18 pm

    Amazing and fabulous. I would never, in a million years, have thought of baking a cake in an orange, in a fire!

    Reply
    • Elizabeth

      July 22, 2014 at 6:11 pm

      I thought it was a rather clever thing too when I saw it on Pinterest!

      Reply
  11. Jen @ Blue Kitchen Bakes

    July 21, 2014 at 12:02 pm

    This is such a clever idea, well done for coming up with such a lovely treat for your husband.

    Reply
    • Elizabeth

      July 22, 2014 at 6:11 pm

      Thanks Jen, glad you like the look of it 🙂

      Reply
  12. Michelle @ Greedy Gourmet

    July 20, 2014 at 6:50 pm

    How quaint! I’m always in awe of some people’s inventiveness because I never would have thought of this creation myself. You pulled it off as well!

    Reply
    • Elizabeth

      July 21, 2014 at 8:26 am

      Aw thanks Michelle! The orange idea itself isn’t mine but the recipe inside is. Every recipe I found online used a boxed cake mix – terrible!!

      Reply
  13. Keep Calm and Fanny On

    July 20, 2014 at 9:55 am

    Wow! This looks amazing… I’m just back from a camping trip in the wilds of Northern Scotland too, this would’ve been perfect! Next time… Thanks!

    Reply
    • Elizabeth

      July 20, 2014 at 5:03 pm

      Ooh where have you been? How was it? Do let me know what you think of this recipe if you do make it

      Reply
  14. Jacqueline Meldrum

    July 20, 2014 at 8:26 am

    What a fabulous recipe. Happy Birthday to the hubby Elizabeth. I too think that a recipe using cake mix is not a recipe and just plain horrid.

    Oh and here in the UK we do call it tin foil, even if it’s not made of tin any more, so no need to alter. I notice Jude is from Australia, so it is probably called something different there, but you are correct to call it tin foil while living in the uk.

    Reply
    • Elizabeth

      July 20, 2014 at 5:20 pm

      Thanks Jacqueline! Glad to hear I’m not alone with the cake mix aversion! When I first moved to the UK my new friends drilled the correct pronunciation of aluminium into my head, so I’m quite surprised tin foil snuck out!

      Reply
  15. Jan Bennett

    July 20, 2014 at 6:52 am

    Wow they look amazing – a brilliant idea!
    PS: Love the Lake District sounds like you had a great time.

    Reply
    • Elizabeth

      July 20, 2014 at 5:15 pm

      Thanks Jan 🙂 Yes, we did have a fantastic time – I’ve a blog post to write up all about it as soon as I get a chance!

      Reply
  16. Kat (The Baking Explorer)

    July 20, 2014 at 12:48 am

    This is such a clever and resourceful idea, they look great too! I completely agree about boxed cake mixes, I do get frustrated when “recipes” include them! Thanks for entering these into Treat Petite 🙂

    Reply
    • Elizabeth

      July 20, 2014 at 5:14 pm

      Thanks Kat 🙂 So glad I’m not alone in the boxed cake idea. Thanks for hosting such a great challenge!

      Reply
  17. Kate @ Veggie Desserts

    July 19, 2014 at 9:48 pm

    I LOVE this!!! I’m so trying this. Brilliant idea!

    Reply
    • Elizabeth

      July 20, 2014 at 5:13 pm

      Ooh let me know what you think if you do try it! 🙂

      Reply
  18. Sally - My Custard Pie

    July 19, 2014 at 8:02 pm

    What an absolutely brilliant idea – will try this next time I go camping.

    Reply
    • Elizabeth

      July 20, 2014 at 5:13 pm

      Thanks Sally, let me know how you get on if you do try it!

      Reply
  19. Lucy @SupergoldenBakes

    July 19, 2014 at 6:54 pm

    I just *knew* you would come up with a winning recipe for the birthday during camping conundrum! This looks delicious and all the more so for the amazing surroundings and sweet occasion. I hope you had a fantastic time during your holidays – certainly looks like you did!
    Thanks for linking to #CookBlogShare – check out the other entries on Pinteresthttp://www.pinterest.com/supergolden88/cookblogshare/
    and Google+
    https://plus.google.com/u/0/communities/107696809290414888934

    Reply
    • Elizabeth

      July 20, 2014 at 5:11 pm

      Thanks Lucy 🙂 He fairly enjoyed his birthday day and the cake – wait til you hear what he got up to on the day (future adventure post!). He said it was the best birthday he’s had since his 21st 😀

      Reply
  20. Camilla @FabFood4All

    July 19, 2014 at 6:43 pm

    What a fab and frugal cake to male on a campfire – well done for your initiative:-)

    Reply
    • Elizabeth

      July 20, 2014 at 5:10 pm

      Thanks Camilla! Once I get a notion I don’t stop until I see it through!

      Reply
  21. Holly Nelson

    July 19, 2014 at 5:29 pm

    So so clever!! And delicious – well done!!

    Reply
    • Elizabeth

      July 20, 2014 at 5:09 pm

      Thanks Holly 🙂 You surely must do a lot of camping where you are in Canada?

      Reply
  22. Urvashi

    July 19, 2014 at 4:27 pm

    Wonderful idea. I wonder if it would also work in dying embers of a BBQ?

    Reply
    • Elizabeth

      July 19, 2014 at 4:29 pm

      Thanks! I would think so, it would just take a little bit longer.

      Reply
  23. Laura

    July 19, 2014 at 4:06 pm

    How clever and how delicious! I’ve never been camping but if I find myself in the situation I’ll definitely remember this =)

    Reply
    • Elizabeth

      July 19, 2014 at 4:19 pm

      You’ve never been camping?!!! This you simply must remedy!!!

      Reply
  24. sustainablemum

    July 19, 2014 at 3:51 pm

    What a great idea, shame I can’t eat oranges!

    Reply
    • Elizabeth

      July 19, 2014 at 4:06 pm

      Oh no! Oranges are so lovely. I wonder what else could be used instead… melons? 🙂

      Reply
  25. Stuart Vettese

    July 19, 2014 at 3:26 pm

    What a brilliant idea Elizabeth! I can imagine the orange flavour would be a great addition. I call it tin foil too – don’t worry. I call the cereal Golden Grahams, but there is no gold it in to my knowledge!

    Reply
    • Elizabeth

      July 19, 2014 at 4:39 pm

      Thanks Stuart, and I’m glad I’m not the only one! 😀

      Reply
  26. jude

    July 19, 2014 at 2:17 pm

    Amazing!! Just one little whinge though, no such thing as ‘tin’ foil… being the daughter of a metallurgist I had this drummed into me as a child: aluminium foil, or just foil. Sorry to pick nits 😉

    Reply
    • Elizabeth

      July 19, 2014 at 2:24 pm

      Duly noted – I shall amend! Can I claim being Canadian as my defence? 😀

      Reply
4.30 from 10 votes (9 ratings without comment)

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Cooking up a storm at the edge of the world

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“Never underestimate the power of your own story. Life may have taken unexpected turns, but it’s never too late to weave new threads of adventure into your tapestry. Keep spinning those yarns, my friend.

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